


Tales of The Fade Child

by LeafAdrift (Sillyleaf)



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Adventures in the Fade, Fade Shenanigans, Fade friends, How did this child get here?, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, MCiT, child protagonist, cute kid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:06:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27797413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sillyleaf/pseuds/LeafAdrift
Summary: Sidhe,  mounds and homes to the Fae-like creatures, perhaps portals to the lands of the Fairy folk?The child dreams and grows. It learns of a world beyond their own. Friends in the Fade make growing up bearable. There is pain and loss but a promise lingers of a place where their soul sings, wanting to return to where the magic is. Dreams do become real but first, the strange child needs to grow and choose their way.Solas has no clue how to handle the small creature but finds he cannot leave it to wander into harm. He had plans to make, a veil to break! Why... is Fen'harel suddenly the strange child's caretaker?
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34
Collections: Favorite Self-Insert and OC-Centric Fanfics





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This will be a slow-progressing story. I have a plot but I'll be having some fun writing between scenes using prompts. Feel free to suggest a prompt of some sort. I don't guarantee I'll use it but I might.

**It all started in a dream far away…**

Curiosity and a wisp of Imagination, Wonder guarding and a breath of Happiness circling. The Fade was warm, a basking green expanse that danced with sparkling stars. Old and new, familiar and strange. Seated in Curiosity’s lap a child with black eyes, pitch surfaces reflecting the whimsical lights that traced paths from Curiosity’s hand, smiled. Long red-tinged hair sleep-mussed with flyaway strands, clothed in an overlarge shirt and strange fuzzy breeches with cuffs worn from dragging under bare feet. Small and fragile. 

“What brings you to the Fade child? It is dangerous for wandering while so tiny.” The spirit’s tone was amused as it elicited giggles from the small one, with a nose boop. The sound drawing Happiness closer to nuzzle the child’s cheek and settle in the nest of the little one’s crossed legs. 

“Wha’s da Fayde?” The child drew a finger to their mouth, making words around it. 

“This is the Fade. It’s where you come when you dream but not this part. You should have a safe space. Did you wander out of your dreams?” Curiosity was an old spirit but had never interacted with such a little Dreamer. They practically emanated innocent questions, wanting for knowledge.

“I’s...dremmeng?” The child now had three tiny and thin finger pressed on their bottom lip, a trail of moisture lazily leaking into the sleeve of their nightshirt. Their eyes looked around and wonder stirred, the spirit humming a content cord. “Will youse pway wit me?” The Fade stirred with Curiosity’s nod, and a field spread around them, flowers and a large tree with low branches. 

The tiny human squealed and darted away. “Pwetty!” One flower, two flowers, three, each a different shade or shape. “Wats dis one?” the tiny one ran to Curiosity with each discovery, wanting the name for each beautiful thing, for each new discovery. Wonder caught the child in its arms, lifting and twirling it as it shrieked in delight, clinging to the spirit with drool coated fingers. Wonder had no care for such things. 

“Do you have a name child?” Wonder asked as the little one sat on its shoulder.

“Mama calls me Sidhe.” It’s legs swung in a playful rhythm. Happiness had discovered if it floated just below the little one’s toes it would shrink back and elicit a bout of laughter, high pitched and echoing. Wonder didn’t seem to mind the shrill merriment. “Wats yers?” 

“I am Wonder.” the strangest images flashed in the child’s mind. A woman in red, blue and gold, a warrior. 

“Are youse Wonder Ummm man?” It’s nose scrunched as it seemed to try to determine something. 

“No. I am Wonder. Your Wonderwoman is quite fierce… I find the stars pleasing.”

“She’s bwave strongs, super really smarts!” Curiosity grinned, stirring the Fade until the woman from the child’s mind appeared. The child joyfully slipping from Wonder’s hold to stand and stare upwards at the tall woman figure. It lunged and held tight, wrapping the still figure in a tight hug while babbling a list of qualities. Finally satisfied the child released the figure and it faded away. 

“I am Curiosity. That is Happiness. And that is Imagination. They are pleased to meet you Shee.” 

Sidhe reached out to pet the energetic wisps, “Thanks youse fer pwaying wit me! Can we pway more?”

Curiosity bent down, head tilted. It’s long hair flowing with strands of soft green light. Sidhe played with the strands, amazed and so full of questions. “Of course, but you are drifting. I believe it is best you  _ wake up Da’len _ .”

The Fade and the child’s friends vanished. Its eyes opened to a warm hug. A woman holding them beneath the covers. Sidhe turned and planted a big wake up kiss on the woman’s face. The woman’s eyes opened, and a soft smile appeared. “Good morning my sweet. Dream well?”

“Mama! I made lotsa fwiends. I wants ta pway agains soons.”

“I’m happy. Keep dreaming good dreams Sidhe. Papa was out late last night so today is a quiet day.”

The smile on the small child’s face wavered, eyes darting to corners, fingers shoved deep into their mouth. “Okay. Pwamish.” The woman reached out but was taken by a violent fit of coughing, an angry raspy noise tinging her breath when it subsided. 

Sidhe winced, patting the woman’s back and scrambling for the medicine and water bottle. No more speaking. No more laughter. Quiet and shy, scared to make noise. The Monster was sleeping. 


	2. Starry Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A picture of a sky, and a meeting in the Fade that brings Sidhe to a new friend.

**Twas a Starry Night**

Sidhe laid on their stomach, crayon in hand, and a dog-eared sketchbook at the ready. They had to be quiet to let Mama rest.

Scribbling colour across the page, Sidhe added yellow points that bled a bit green over the rough blue coloured background. Giant stars and little stars, there were no constellations in mind just pretty diamonds twinkling in their dark blue sky. Looking upwards Sidhe padded over to the little window in their room. The moon was a sliver and it was a bit cloudy. There weren’t a lot of stars either, not like the pictures teacher had shown. Maybe they were hiding? Narrowing their eyes Sidhe tried to look further, but there was just blue and a little green, and maybe something pinkish? That was funny, the pictures teacher had used never had much pink or green. 

Nodding Sidhe slipped back into her little spot on the floor, layering a swirl of green onto their skyscape. It was not sparkly enough but the sparkly crayons were expensive so Mama couldn’t get them. Their stomach rumbled as the last line of colour was laid down. 

Mama was resting. Sidhe knew that meant there’d be no dinner tonight. They weren’t supposed to leave their room. Finger in mouth Sidhe stared at the door, shuffling towards it, very quietly opening it to look into the dark hall. It didn’t sound like the Monster was home. There were apples on the counter… 

Tonight was a good night. Mama got to sleep and Sidhe managed to grab an apple and two juice boxes! They left a juice box for Mama and crept back out of her room and back to theirs. It was enough. Yawning, Sidhe looked at the clock and then the big poster that said when bedtime was. Teeth brushed, hair combed, pyjamas on they tucked their masterpiece beneath the pillow and fell asleep. 

  
  


Wonder and Curiosity weren’t there but Imagination and Happiness quickly appeared and snuffed around the child. The two wisps settled on Sidhe’s head like amorphous hats. The Fade was misty and Sidhe followed no path but their own while humming a wordless tune. “Oh! I dun knows where ta go.” Sidhe looked upwards, trying to find the stars but instead found a vast expanse of colours and floating islands. A weird city in the sky hovered in the distance. The city felt...scary. Not right. It hurt to look too much. 

Happiness shivered and Sidhe was distracted, turning from the sight of the blackened city to grab and hug Happiness, burying their face in the little wisps presence until the scary feeling passed. “I dun likes it ‘ere,” Sidhe whispered and started running, bare feet careless on the rocky terrain. Something chittered, making an awful sound. Sidhe tensed and listened closely to the sound of creepy crawling overlaid with heavy boots, a familiar and terrifying voice incoherent but recognizable. “No. nononono. I’m good. Dun les da Monster catch me.” 

Imagination zipped forward, floating and Sidhe followed, running away from the fear and into deeper green mists. They looked backwards and collided with something in front of them. A shriek and Sidhe covered their face, shoving Happiness protectively behind their small form. 

“Shhhh da’len. I mean no harm” The woman’s voice had a soft accent. Sidhe trembled only a moment, before lunging forward into the pretty spirit, clinging to them as they sobbed and shook. Wisdom smoothed a hand through the child’s hair until they calmed down.

The world shifted and Sidhe was in a glade with pretty stone arches and a fountain covered in vines. Wisdom guided them to the fountain’s edge where they both sat down. “You are very small to have awoken your magic Da’len and to be a Dreamer… you need to be very careful lest you attract negative aspects set to harm you.”

“I goss magic?” Wisdom was more, like a solid existence. Curiosity was almost the same whereas Wonder was only kind of solid. Sidhe thought that was something important. It felt important. 

Wisdom hummed and the whole world, all the air vibrated with the spirit’s thoughts. Sidhe could feel the feminine spirit searching and considering. 

“How strange. You do not have an origin of dreams that I can sense...it stretches farther than the waking world. Yes, you have magic, a tie to the Fade but it extends past Thedas, the waking world, further through boundaries insurmountable.” Wisdom’s touch was soft and warm, it’s hand pushing Sidhe’s hair back behind rounded ears. 

Sidhe smiled and stared at the spirit. “I goss magic! But…” Their face turned sombre as they brought their knees up to hug close to their chest. “He says magics nots weal. It’s nots weal, jus dweams.” 

“Perhaps in your world, it is too cut off to exist? A world with no magic, only stories of it. Nevertheless, you can enter the Fade and your spirit thrums and sings songs. Here in dreams, you can use magic and if you wish to remain safe you must learn to do so.” 

Sidhe didn’t understand everything that Wisdom was saying. It was complicated but they understood that it was dangerous but that learning magic would help make the Fade safe. They liked learning and magic sounded like it’d be entertaining to learn. 

  
  


Imagination bumped against Sidhe’s cheek, eliciting a giggle from the child. Wisdom found it a good sign that the young one already had friends. She could feel the light traces of Curiosity and Wonder. “Perhaps a lesson da’len? In the Fade your imagination can conjure objects, or change the very fabric of the Fade.” Wisdom had the little wisp of Imagination curl itself up against the child’s chest. The little wisp would help in focusing.

Sidhe listened carefully as Wisdom told them to think of an object close to them. There was an image in their mind and a whisper without words. Sidhe thought of the picture they’d drawn, the starry sky and the lack of sparkle crayons. They wanted to show Happiness and Imagination and Wisdom the picture. 

It appeared in Sidhe’s hands and they held it up with a wide smile. “I did it!”

“Well done da’len. You appear to be waning…If you are ever lost think of somewhere safe alright?” Wisdom warned as she took the picture Sidhe offered.

“I will! Thank youse!”

“Of course. Thank you for the picture. Now,  _ wake up _ .”

Wisdom stared at the picture as the strange child disappeared, as did Happiness and Imagination. The two wisps were but aspects of the child now. It had been many years since the spirit had interacted with one so young. Wisdom traced a hand over the strange sky and colours. 

  
Perhaps she would send the child to  _ him _ for lessons. He needed the distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's prompt credit:
> 
> Creativepromptsforwriting on Tumblr: December Prompts: Starry Night
> 
> This was fun to write~  
> I gave Wisdom She/her pronouns though spirits are mostly it/them/ungendered 
> 
> Feel free to suggest a prompt in the comments~


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